Reciprocable guide structure with self-adjusting rocker shoes



J. R. SIBLEY Nov.l7, 1959 RECIPROCABLE GUIDE STRUCTURE WITH SELF-ADJUSTING ROCKER SHOES Original Filed July 5, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 diioz zzay.

Nov. 17, 1959 RECIPROCABLE GUIDE STRUCTURE WITH SELF-ADJUSTING ROCKER SHOES Original Filed July 5, 1949 J. R. SIBLEY 2,913,283

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 9 Kim Nov. 17, 1959 J. R. SlBLEY 2,913,283

RECIPROCABLE GUIDE STRUCTURE WITH SELF-ADJUSTING ROCKER SHOES Original Filed July 5, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 a I a y 4 V w 26 HP 2 5 m 0 a M l7 m /7 iv Luv //7 I g,

RECIPRO'CABLE GUIDE STRUCTUREWlTH SELF ADJUSTIN G ROGKER'SHOES 1 John-,R-. Sibley; Franklin, Pa., ..assignor to JoyManufac- V turiuggCompany, Pittsburgh, Pa., a= corporation ,of

Pennsylvania.

This invention relates to a continuous mining apparatus and more particularly toa guiding structure for the. veinrattacking and. disintegratingmechanism of, such an apparatus for guidingthe same'during its backandzforth rectilinear movements,-

In a continuous miner of. the-kind disclosed Tin myicopending application Serial No. 102,996, vfiled'luly 5, 1949, which is a continuation-in-part of a copending'applica tion Serial No. 47,422, filed September: 2,. 1948, now abandoned, and has matured into Patent No.- 2,798,713, dated July 9-, 1957, thevein-attacking and disintegrating mechanism: for dislodging and disintegratingthe mineral of a solid mine vein is mounted for back andlforth. rectilinear. movements-relative'to the frame structure on which. the mechanismis mounted. The'present invention residesinthe improved guiding means: for guiding the attacking anddisintegrating mechanism during such rectilinear. movements i In a preferredembodiment, the invention may comprise rectilinearly movable members and guiding means thereforincludingcooperating'rocker shoe and bearing elements, certainones of which may have concave sockets for receiving coacting-c'onvex"elements whereby there may berelative rocking .of .the .parts. during guiding. to

prevent-"undue binding. Suchhcooperating elements,.as disclosed, may assume the. formofrroclier shoes having plane guiding surfaces, and convexbearing surfaces-fitted 5 in concave sockets in bearing supports.

An object of the present invention is to provide improved guiding means for the attacking and disintegrating mechanism of a continuous mining apparatus. Another object is to provide an improved guide structure embodying self-adjusting rocker shoes whereby binding of the guides during adjustment is substantially avoided. Yet another object is to provide an improved horizontal guiding means for a rectilinearly movable frame. These and other objects and advantages of the invention will, however, hereinafter more fully appear.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 102,996, filed July 5, 1949.

In the accompanying drawings there is shown for purposes of illustration one form which the invention may assume in practice. 1

In these drawings:

Fig. 1 is a horizontal sectional view taken through a portion of a continuous mining apparatus, showing details of the improved guide structure.

Fig. 2 is a View in longitudinal vertical section taken on the plane of line 22' of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional View taken on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a detail longitudinal vertical sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. 3, illustrating a portion of the guiding means for the sliding frame.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are detail vertical sectional views taken respectively on lines 55, 66 and 7-7 of Fig. 4, showing details of the guiding means.

The continuous mining apparatus in which the present 21 are mounted as rockers with the upper surfaces of 2 invention is embodied may: generally: comprise at base 1 having a frame 2 which has swiveleditliereon, at 3; to swing about.an:upright. axis in.horizontal1v planeswith respect thereto, a-horizontalv supportingframe. or turntable 4. The swiveled supportingfram'e or'turntable-ha's a horizontal portion 5 projecting forwardly in: advance of the-base, and guided on thishorizontalframe portion for movementv rectilinearly 1 relative :the'reto in a! radial direction relative .to the swivehaxis is: aisliding frame 1 or support 6 on which a swingali1e'=frame or bartstr'uctu're 7 of a vein-attackingand :disintegrating. mechanism",.g en,- erally designated 8, is pivotally' mounted to swing in vertical planes for dislodging and. disintegratingthe mineral of a solid mine vein- The attackingand disintegrating mechanism comprises a. series. of. endless disintegrating chains 9 guided forcir'culation in-parallel vertical orbits along guideways on: theswingabletframe structure 7 and motors 10.carriedrby the.swiveled'framei'drive through extensible universal drive shafts 11:,- reduction gearings 12 enclosed;within housings 1 3 .carriedflatthe opposite sides of thesliding: support6. Thesereduction gearings drive a transverse shaft I4 arranged coaxially with the frame pivot, and driving sprockets 1 5 secured' frame or support 6. The forward1ends'ofith 'side' portions 17 carry bearing'zsupportingbloeks 21 secured thereto as by screws; "and. these blocks. have; concave recesses 22in whichiselff-adjustingl guide members-m me form of bearing segments or rockers 23 of semicircular cross. sectional shape are seated; and he plane bottom surfacesz-of the. forwardlzport io'ns of the -guides 20 are slidably supported by these bearing segments or rockers, as shown in Fig. 4. Evidently, if desired, the parts may be reversed with the semicircular guide or bearing members 23 providing bearing supports on which the blocks are wedge-shaped, as shown in Fig. 6, and may bead- I justed by screws 26 to take up any play. Wear inserts 27 of disc shape carried by the rearward portions of the guides slidably engage the plane bottom sliding surface of the guideways, as shown in Fig. 5. Replaceable wear plates 28 are arranged between the upper surface of the rear guide portion and the upper surface of the guideway and extend downwardly along the inner edges of the guides.

Suitable fluid operated means is provided'for reciprocating the sliding frame or support along its guideways, and for this purpose there is illustrated an arrangement which includes double-acting fluid cylinders 29 arranged longitudinally along the inner sides of the parallel side frame portions 17 of the swiveled supporting frame or turntable 4. These fluid cylinders are pivotally mounted,

at 30, at their rear ends on the swiveled frame and contain reciprocable pistons 31 having piston rods 32 extending forwardly from the front cylinder heads. The front ends of the piston rods are pivotally connected, at

33, to the sliding frameor support 6. When fluid under pressure is supplied to one end or the other of the cylinders 29, the pistons may be moved to feed the sliding frame 6 rectilinearly back and forth along the guideways 19. By trapping fluid in the .-cylinders, the pistons may be locked inpos'ition to hold the sliding frame against sliding movement. This structure, together with the means for supplying fluid under pressure to the cylinders, is fully disclosed in the copending. application above referred to. I

As a result of this invention, an improved guiding structure is provided for the rectilinearly movable attacking and disintegrating mechanism of a continuous mining apparatus. Byv the provision of the improved sliding guides, together with the coacting rocker shoe structure, guiding is effected in an improved manner while undue binding of the parts is substantially avoided. The structure is not only effective in operation but is simple and rugged in design, welladapted for its intended purpose. Other advantages of the invention will be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art.

While there is, in this application specifically described one form which the invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that thisform of the same is shown for purposes of illustration and that the invention' may be modified and embodied in various other forms withoutdeparting from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination, a reciprocable horizontal member having a bottom plane guide surface, a guide member for guiding said first member during its reciprocation and having an upper plane bearing surface with which said guide surface has sliding engagement, and means relative to which said horizontal 'member is reciprocable for mounting said guide member for limited rocking movement about a relatively stationary transverse axis at rightangles to a. line extending in the direction ofrreciprocation of said first member.

2,. ,A combination as set forth in'claim 1 wherein said mounting means for said guide member provides a curved bearing surface of relatively large area lying in the surface of a cylinder.

3. A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said mounting means for said guide member provides a curved bearing surface of relatively wide area lying in the surface of a cylinder and said guide member has a complemental curved surface opposed to said plane bearing surface and bearing against said curved bearing surface.

4. In combination, a reciprocable member having a plane guide surface, a supporting frame providing a guideway for. receiving saidreciprocable member, and means for taking up any excessive play of said reciprocable member in its guideway comprising a transversely disposed 'wedge having adjusting mea'ns,='said wedge movable axially in a direction at right angles to a line extending in the direction of reciprocation of said memher, said wedge having a curved surfacelyingj inthe surface of a cone and engaging a complemental curved surface whereby said wedge member may rock slightly about said transverse axis.

5. In combination, a supportingframe providing a horizontal guideway, a reciprocable member mounted in said guideway and having a bottom plane guide surface; a guide segment for guiding said member during its reciprocation and having an upwardly facing plane surface with which said bottom guide surface has sliding engagement, said reciprocable member movable along its path of reciprocation into a position Whereinits outer portion substantially overhangs said supporting frame, and rela tively stationary means near the outer end of said guideway for mounting said guide segment for limited rock ing movement about a relatively stationary transverse axis at right angles to a line extending in the direction of reciprocation of said reciprocable member. I

6. A combination as set forth in claim 5 wherein said mounting means for said guide segment provides a curved bearing surface of relatively wide areadying in the surface of a cylinder, said guide segment having a complemental curved surface bearing against said curved bearing surface. 1

References Cited in the file 'of this patent Sulprizio Nov. -2, 1948 

